Cricket

ENG Vs AUS, 1st T20I: Phil Salt Laments 'Everything Was Good Apart From The Result'

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, as the hosts failed to win a third straight T20I at The Rose Bowl

England-Captain-Phil-Salt
England stand-in skipper Phil Salt.
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England's stand-in captain Phil Salt took plenty of positives from Wednesday's defeat to Australia, claiming "everything was good bar the result". (More Cricket News)

Travis Head's superb knock of 59 from just 23 balls, which included plundering 30 from a single over, set Australia on their way.

England fought back with the ball, though, and were ultimately set a target of 180.

But big hitters Salt (20), Sam Curran (18) and Liam Livingstone (37) all went in quick succession as England failed to get going and lost by 28 runs.

"Everything was good apart from the result," said Salt, who was standing in for the absent Jos Buttler.

"They played well. Heady came out swinging in the powerplay and gave them a head start.

"We were a couple of wickets too far down. Heady's done that for a couple of years, it's about how do we shut that down?

"[But] good signs. They played well, we dragged it back, we should have chased it realistically. At times we could have taken partnerships deeper. But we've had a good look at them now."

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, as the hosts failed to win a third straight T20I at The Rose Bowl.

"It was a nice start. Nice to get under way," said Head.

"To set a platform like that with the hitters we had behind us, it was nice to do the job."

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh added: "We certainly looked on course for 200 but did our best to stuff it up, so it's nice to start the series with a win."